Let me make an alternative suggestion: take first responder courses and wilderness first aid courses, then pick the supplies you'll expect to need based on your training.

I'm sure lots of people will tell you what they bring, but we don't know the level of their expertise if any -- so some of it may be dead wrong (snake bite kits) and some of it may be beyond your capabilities. In either event, each person will expect her or his suggestions to be dead right for you. And it won't be.

Get the appropriate training, then pick based on your own knowledge and expertise.

phil wrote:Let me make an alternative suggestion: take first responder courses and wilderness first aid courses, then pick the supplies you'll expect to need based on your training.

I'm sure lots of people will tell you what they bring, but we don't know the level of their expertise if any -- so some of it may be dead wrong (snake bite kits) and some of it may be beyond your capabilities. In either event, each person will expect her or his suggestions to be dead right for you. And it won't be.

Get the appropriate training, then pick based on your own knowledge and expertise.

I have taken the St. John Ambulance standard and emergency first aid courses as well as CPR level 'C'. My certification has expired, but will likely renew it next year (work pays for it, but I was unavailable when they had the courses this year).

the wilderness first aid course is a great idea. I'll look into it.

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Today is the Tomorrow you worried about Yesterday... now you know why.

PepcidLaxativeIbuprofenAspirin - safer for hangoversGinger candy - by "The Ginger People" (great for upset stomach)Glucose tablets for diabetics (Juice boxes are in the cooler)ImmodiumPedialyte powder

TweezersScissorsFinger cots - finger condoms; keeps bandaids cleaner & drier when one is working on somethingLiquid bandage - this is great for hangnails, papercuts & other tiny cuts often received during camp setupCotton ballsAlcohol wipesNeosporinPeroxide

I needed sunscreen, burn cream, neosporin, ibuprofen, sterile wipes, bandages, and medical tape to keep the bandages in place because everything is too dusty to stick. I HAD ice packs, gauze, sutures, large trauma pads, sterile gloves, and many other things but I really wouldn't have enjoyed needing them.

The 17-year-old kid in my Wilderness First Aid class put his head between his knees when the instructor started tightening a tourniquet on the disembodied dummy arm. We got to help the boy into the recovery position.

On the upside, we can be certain that youth and enthusiasm for tricky, dangerous, last-ditch efforts such as tourniquets will not override his nausea/good sense.

*** 2016 Survival Guide ***"I must've lost it when I was twerking at the trash fence." -- BBadger

Since the playa is so dusty, and things have trouble sticking, I was wondering if anyone has tried the rolls of bandage wrap that they use on animals. It's not a sticky adhesive, but the material sticks to itself. I've used it to hold bandages on my dog. It would work well for holding sterile pads on wounds in the playa dust.

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Today is the Tomorrow you worried about Yesterday... now you know why.

Since the playa is so dusty, and things have trouble sticking, I was wondering if anyone has tried the rolls of bandage wrap that they use on animals. It's not a sticky adhesive, but the material sticks to itself. I've used it to hold bandages on my dog. It would work well for holding sterile pads on wounds in the playa dust.

That's actually what ESD uses, although, I was told the rationale was that it was cheaper.

The Lady with a Lamprey

"The powerful are exploiting people, art and ideas, and this leads to us plebes debating how to best ration ice.Man, no wonder they always win....." Lonesomebri

Since the playa is so dusty, and things have trouble sticking, I was wondering if anyone has tried the rolls of bandage wrap that they use on animals. It's not a sticky adhesive, but the material sticks to itself. I've used it to hold bandages on my dog. It would work well for holding sterile pads on wounds in the playa dust.

Yes! Look for "Coban". That's one brand name. It's very nice on playa. I like to finish with a strip of tape maybe 2" long on top, to cement the final bond.

*** 2016 Survival Guide ***"I must've lost it when I was twerking at the trash fence." -- BBadger

Folks inclined to nosebleeds should pack some nasal saline in their first aid kit or wash bag; a daily dose can be great prevention. (I'm a contact lense wearer, so I just up-end the bottle and drip some up there from a semi-hygienic distance.)

It's very glam, I assure you.

Eyewash is also nice, though the preservative free tears and saline I already have negate the need for it (personally).

*** 2016 Survival Guide ***"I must've lost it when I was twerking at the trash fence." -- BBadger

Savannah is right, nasal saline. Nose bleeds are not something I had had to deal with as an adult, but after my first year, I now make sure it's always in my first aid kit. It has actually come in helpful on other camping trips as well.

I trust that my gf does an excellent job planning and stocking our med bin. There are usually a few extras that I double check our stock levels on and make sure we have enough for the needs of the camp, they include advil, immodium AD, electrolyte tablets, 5-htp, plain saline solution nasal spray, and plain non-medicated eyedrops (I think they're called refresh). Aside from the all-important treatment of injuries, I think it's important to care for your eyes, nose, mood, energy levels, and general purpose. The immodium is something you hope no one will need, But take at the first sign of 'consistency issues' to avoid having to spending long periods of time during a hot day in a funky porto.

Maybe this is self evident, but the only time I have ever needed to provide emergency assistance out on the playa was when some hippy dread had passed out in his own vomit, he needed water. Right then. No one helping was gonna give up their own water bottle to him, but I carry extra to hand out.

Magnesium supplements. Feel that tinge of a cramp because you've been bicycling around the playa all day and now it's cold and your muscles are too? Pop one of those and you'll feel much better. Good for preventing jaw clenching too, for those who happen to suffer that.

"The essence of tyranny is not iron law. It is capricious law." -- Christopher Hitchens

eye drops, nasal spray anda couple of other items are now on the list.

Magnesium supplements sound like something i should look into too.

First Aid is one thing i would prefer to be way over prepared for, than need something and not have it

Exactly. There's free medical treatment in 3 locations (3:00 & C Street, 9:00 & C Street, and 5:15 & Esplanade) and they will even come get you if you dispatch a campmate to notify them, but if it's a simple wound, it's really nice to be able to take care of yourself (or someone else, so don't forget gloves).

*** 2016 Survival Guide ***"I must've lost it when I was twerking at the trash fence." -- BBadger